Masks
by angelfan86
Summary: Set one year after the end of Batman Begins. I can't tell you more because I'd give away the plot. X Chapter 15 is now up!X
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. I get paid nothing.

**Author's note: **I know this chapter is a bit short, but... That is why it is the introduction.

* * *

Danielle searched through the rubble of what used to be her home. After the previous year's mayhem, she had lost everything. Her home, her family, she had even lost her friends. Now she was alone. She lived on the streets going from doorway to doorway trying to find work. No one knew what she had seen the night that Jonathan Crane had gassed Gotham. No one knew who she had seen.

People thought she was a freak because she didn't go crazy when she was exposed to the gas. Maybe she was a freak. Instead of seeing her nightmares, she had seen the truth. She had glimpsed the true person behind each resident's proverbial mask. She had seen behind his mask too.

Danielle picked up a smashed photograph. It showed a picture of her loving family, a family that no longer existed. Jonathan Crane had taken everything from her that night. But in return, she had taken much more. She now knew the identity of Gotham City's terrifying hero. She knew that behind the mask lay the wounded soul of Bruce Wayne. "No one can hide forever, Batman." She whispered to the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I own... myself...

**Author's note:** Just to be safe, I don't know a thing about the comic books. So everything in here is based off of the movie.

* * *

Rain was beating down outside the newly rebuilt Wayne Manor. It was late and all the lights in the house were off. No one seemed to notice the young woman slip between the large, iron bars of the front gate. She was tiny and, when she turned sideways, slid through gaps of the gate with ease. 

She checked her surroundings and then made her way to the house. After checking the windows for an alarm system, she quickly picked the lock on the front door and silently entered the house. Once inside, she closed and relocked the door. Breathing a silent sigh of relief, she once again checked her surroundings. Without making a sound, she began to make her way towards the stairs.

Without warning, a light was flipped on. "Don't move a muscle." A voice commanded. She froze for a minute. _Shit._ She turned with a smile to see who had caught her._ Just the butler. You can talk your way out of this one._ "Who are you and what's your business?" The butler demanded.

She smirked, her ice blue eyes searching for the nearest exit. "I'm… the interior decorator. I just wanted to get a look at the house."

"I don't recall Master Bruce mentioning that he hired an interior decorator." Alfred replied.

"That's because I didn't." A voice stated calmly from the top of the stairs.

The woman turned with surprise. This situation was getting worse by the minute. _Say something, quick!_ The voice in her head screamed. "And isn't that a shame?" She blurted. "This place could use a few feminine touches." The Cheshire-like grin never left her face and she inched towards the door.

"You broke into my house. I have to assume that you want something." Bruce replied.

She ran a hand through her thick black hair. "Nope, just wanted to see the house." She said. She wasn't far from the door. "We'll talk soon." She finished and then began racing for the door. _Shit! It's still locked! Don't panic, just…_ Her thoughts were interrupted by two strong arms wrapping themselves around her.

Bruce Wayne easily caught the fleeing woman. He quickly turned her around to face him; then, using his body weight, he pinned against a nearby pillar. Looking down at her thin face, he was reminded of someone but he wasn't sure who. "Let me go!" She yelled and attempted to beat on his chest with her tiny fists.

Bruce shook his head. After what he'd endured during his time with the league of shadows, the blows really didn't faze him. "I'm not letting you go until you give me some honest answers." He growled. He really wouldn't mind holding her there all night. After all, she was pretty.

She looked up at him. Her small frame shaking with dread of what he could do to her._ Nice work, genius. You're as good as dead._ There was fear in her blue eyes. Bruce recognized that almost immediately. He was going to have fun with this one before all was said and done. "What do you want to know?" She asked; her voice was shaking.

Bruce backed away a little but still kept her pinned to the pillar. "Well, your name for one. I like to know who I'm talking to."

"Danny… my name's Danny."

"Danny…? Is that short for something?" Bruce asked.

"It's short for… Danielle." She replied; it was evident that she preferred to be called Danny.

"Well then, Danny, I'm going to ask you again. Why did you break into my house?"

Danny sighed. "I wanted to leave you something. But I didn't want you know who left it."

"Well, if I didn't know where the gift came from, I couldn't send you a thank you note, could I?" Bruce replied. A grin was tugging at the corners of his mouth. "So let's see it."

Danny gritted her teeth as she dug into her pocket. She pulled out a note. "Here. Just a note."

Bruce stepped back and unfolded the note; his right hand gripped Danny's shoulder. His expression darkened as he read the note.

I KNOW WHO YOU ARE, BATMAN.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Danny is the creation of my brain... aside from that, I own nothing.

* * *

I KNOW WHO YOU ARE, BATMAN.

Danny saw the flash of anger in his eyes. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the blows he would surely rain down on her. To her surprise, they never came. Bruce Wayne crumpled up the note. "Who told you I'm Batman?" He demanded.

Danny shook her head. "Nobody told me."

"Then how did you figure it out?"

"The night that Narrows were gassed I…" She hesitated a second too long.

"You what…!" Bruce demanded, shoving her against the pillar with more force than was necessary.

Danny groaned at the pain. "I wasn't affected by the toxin the same way everyone else was. Instead of my nightmares, I saw the private people behind the fronts they put up in public. I saw their secret identities behind their masks."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that when everyone else saw Batman, I saw Bruce Wayne." She replied.

She was trembling violently. Bruce took his hand off of her shoulder. He hadn't meant to hurt her. He turned to Alfred, who had been silently watching. "Alfred, would you make us some tea? We'll finish this conversation in the library."

"As you wish, Master Bruce."

While Bruce's attention was elsewhere, Danny once again made a dash for the door. Just as before, she was stopped by the strong arms of Bruce Wayne wrapping themselves tightly around her, pinning her arms to her sides. She began wiggling in a desperate attempt to escape. Bruce merely tight his hold on her. "You and I both know that you'll give out long before I even begin to tire." He said calmly. Danny stilled; however, Bruce still held her tightly. "Now, if I let you go, will you promise not to run?"

"The hell I will!" She snapped.

"Suit yourself." He replied as he picked her up and carried her upstairs.

"What do think you're doing? Put me down!"

Bruce shook his head. "Not a chance, you've already tried to run twice. I gave you a choice, but you refused to cooperate." He said as they entered the library. Bruce closed the door behind him and set Danny down in one of two overstuffed chairs. He locked the door and sat down across from her. He saw that the fear in her eyes had changed to sheer terror, and she was trembling even more violently than before. Those facts bothered and confused him.

_He's got me exactly where he wants me now. _Danny thought. _I am so screwed._ She refused to look at her captor, hoping that he would do whatever he was going to do quickly and get it over with. There was a knock at the door. Bruce stood, opened the door and took the tea from Alfred. "Thanks, Alfred. I've got everything else covered."

"Very well, Master Bruce. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Alfred." Bruce replied. Once again he locked the door. He set the tea down on the small table between the chairs and then turned his attention to Danny. "Tell me something, Danny, how can someone who is brave enough to break into my home, be scared senseless when they're caught?"

She looked up at him. "Will you just get it over with?" She asked softly.

Now Bruce was really confused. "Get what over with?"

"You brought me up here to kill me or beat the shit out of me, didn't you?" She replied, dreading the answer.

Bruce's jaw dropped in surprise. Her fear now made perfect sense. "Don't be absurd! Where would you get that idea?"

Danny shrugged. "I guess I just came to expect it." She muttered looking down at the floor. She ran her hands through her hair again, and for the first time, Bruce notice a scar on her face that had been hidden by her hair. He didn't know what kind of hell the young woman sitting in front of him had been through, but he wouldn't stop until he had the answers.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I wish I owed this stuff, but I don't._

* * *

She's scared senseless, so what convinced her to break into my house? Bruce thought as he sat contemplating the young woman in front of him._

"You've told me you're not going to do, so the question remains: what are you going to do with me?" Danny asked, breaking into Bruce's thoughts.

"Danny, what I do depends on you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for starters, I need you to stop freaking out. I have no intentions of hurting you. All I want to do is talk. You already know who I am. So, naturally, I want to know about you."

"What do you want to know?"

"What were you doing that night in the Narrows?"

"I live there." She wasn't about to admit _who_ she had lived with.

"By yourself?" Bruce asked.

_How the hell is he reading my mind?_ Danny thought. She shook her head. "No, I lived with my two children."

Bruce was shocked. She had kids. "So you're married?"

_Married? What a joke. She had never been married. Legally, yeah she had been married, but she had been nothing more than a punching bag to the man._ "No, I'm not married, not anymore."

"What happened?"

"He died."

"How?"

"My brother shot him." Danny said quietly.

Secretly, Bruce was glad that she wasn't married. But that still left the issue of her children. "How old are your kids?"

Danny struggled to hold back tears. "Cillian would have been five last week. Madison would have been four in a month."

"Would have been?"

"They died. I was almost home when the toxin was released. The baby sitter found the gun I kept for protection. She went on a deranged shooting spree. She mistook my kids for monsters." Danny said softly. Tears were streaming down her face.

"Why did you wait for a year?" Bruce asked hating himself for what he was putting her through.

Danny looked at the floor. "Everyone else thought I was a freak because I didn't turn into a psycho after the toxin. I figured you would think so too. I lost everything that night my children, my home. I didn't want to risk dying."

Bruce was in unfamiliar territory. Sitting in front of him was a woman he had barely met, and all he wanted to do was scoop her up and hide her away where she would be safe. "So why did you risk it?"

She shrugged. "It seemed like a good plan. I need money. If I had gotten away with tonight, I would have left another note soon asking for money in exchange for not ratting you out."

"I would have figured out who you were."

"Not if I picked up the money during the day. Batman only comes out at night."

The grin returned to Bruce's face. He was impressed; she had really thought this through. "What will you do now?"

"I don't know. I guess I'll hitchhike until I find a job."

_No way!_ Bruce wasn't about to let that happen. "I've got an idea. You need a job and I need a personal assistant. You keep my identity a secret, and I'll keep you from having to live on the streets. What do you say?"

"Mr. Wayne, that's a generous offer, but all I own are the clothes on my back. I sleep in a burned out townhouse…"

"…doesn't matter. Alfred or I will take you shopping tomorrow. You can sleep here. There are plenty of spare rooms in this house." Bruce interrupted. Any objection she raised, he planned to quell.

Danny sighed. She could see his resolve. "Very well, Mr. Wayne, I'll accept your offer."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it.

**Author's Note 1:**This chapter deals with Danny past. It includes violence/abuse from her husband. If that makes you uncomfortable, then don't read this.

**Author's Note 2A: **See bottom of chapter.

_

* * *

_

_Danny glanced at the Mickey Mouse alarm clock, next to the bunk bed in the room that her children shared. It was after 10:00pm. Where was her husband? She dreaded nights like these. He'd come home drunk, and all hell would break loose. _

_She looked at her children's sweet faces. She knew what the fights must be doing to them, and she hated herself for it. The minutes seemed to drag as it neared 11:00pm. Nights like this she would pray for him not to come home at all._

_She brushed the hair away from Cillian's face. Madison looked like her father, but Cillian was the spitting image of his mother. A car door slammed. It was her husband's car door. "Mommy?" Cillian said sleepily. She kissed his forehead. "Shh, baby… stay very quiet and go back to sleep."_

_She new the brunt of her husband's drunken rage would fall on her, if he wasn't reminded of the kids. She silently left the bedroom and shut the door behind her. The front door slammed shut as her husband stumbled inside. At least, she thought it was only her husband. "Danny!" A voice called. "Danny, are you home?" It was her brother's voice. She rushed downstairs. Her brother was in the process of laying her husband on the couch._

"_Jackson, what the hell happened?"_

"_I found him in an alley, outside a bar. He was falling all over a hooker."_

"_Why is he passed out?"_

"_I knocked him out, Danny. I couldn't let him do that to you."_

"_Jackson, he's going to find out what happened."_

_Jackson remained calm. "I know Danny, that's why you have to listen to me."_

"_What are you saying?"_

"_You and the kids need to leave. Get out of Gotham."_

"_Where am I supposed go, Jackson? I have nothing outside of Gotham."_

_Jackson walked over to his sister and put his hand on her shoulder. "Danny, you have to get out of here."_

_Neither one of them noticed Danny's husband waking up and getting off the couch. "Rippner, get the hell out of my house!"_

"_Ryan, sit down and shut the hell up!" Jackson order._

_Ryan ignored Jackson's command. He grabbed his brother-in-law by the collar and smashed his head into a wall. The unconscious man slumped to the floor. Ryan turned to his wife, and grabbed her by the throat. "What was he doing here, bitch?" He demanded. Danny was trembling._

"_Nothing… He just wanted to help."_

"_Stop lying to me!" Ryan yelled, backhanding her across the face. His class ring dug into her face and cut deep into her skin._

"_Ryan, please…!" She cried; blood was streaming down her face. _

"_Shut up, you stupid bitch!" Ryan screamed as he punched her. Moaning, Danny slumped to the ground._

_Jackson regained consciousness. Without making a sound he reached for his gun. Ryan was in the process of pulverizing Danny. There was nothing that angered Jackson more than someone beating his sister. He quietly stood and walked up behind Ryan. Jackson pointed the gun at the back of Ryan's head. "Let her go!"_

_Ryan froze and Danny scrambled away. Jackson never took his eyes off of Ryan. "Danny, go upstairs and check on the kids. Lock the door and don't open it for anyone but me." Danny turned and ran upstairs to where she hoped her children were sleeping. "Turn around, Ryan." Jackson ordered. _

_Danny locked herself in the room with her children. "Mommy, what's going on?" Cillian asked. Madison was crying._

"_Come here kids." Danny said softly._

_Madison toddled over and climbed into her mother's lap. Cillian joined his sister. Danny wrapped her arms around them. "I scared, Mommy." Madison said._

"_Me too." Cillian added._

"_I know babies… I know. Uncle Jackson is here now. He won't let anything happen to us." Danny said softly. After a few minutes of hearing muffled shouts between Jackson and Ryan, Danny started to sing softly._

"Hush little baby; don't say a word…"

"…_away from my wife!"_

"...Momma's gonna buy you a mocking bird."

"…_gave up your rights as a husband when you started beating my sister!"_

"If that mocking bird don't sing…"

"_... gonna do, Jackson? Shoot me?"_

"…Momma's gonna buy you a diamond ring."

_BANG! BANG!_

_

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_

**Author's note 2B: **The italics are the scene between Jackson and Ryan. Plain font is Danny singing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **You're smart readers, you know what goes here.

**Author's note: **Here it is! A new chapter.Its a little short, so please forgive. Enjoy!

* * *

"Danny…? Danny, wake up." _A voice was calling to her. It sounded familiar, but at the same time it seemed far away. What had just happened? Jackson killed Ryan. _"Danny, wake up. You're having a nightmare. Come on Danny, wake up." Danny jolted awake. Startled she sat up. Where was she? She turned and saw the concerned face of Bruce Wayne, and everything rushed back into her memory.

As her brain was assaulted by images of her dream, Danny broke down and began sobbing uncontrollably. Bruce sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around the trembling woman. "Shh… it's ok… you're safe."

The memory of the night before came flooding back to her. They had talked until nearly 1:00 in the morning. Then, Bruce had shown her to the guest room. She'd slept, and then she'd had the dream. The images were still so fresh in her mind. She felt Bruce take her chin in his hand. "Danny…? Are you alright?"

She shook her head. _Am I alright? Is that supposed to be a joke?_

"Danny, what's wrong?" Bruce asked.

"Nothing… it was nothing, just a dream." _Liar! Tell him about it._

"Danny that must have been some dream. You were screaming."

"Actually, it was more like a nightmare. It's a nightmare I've been reliving over and over." She said fingering the scar on her face. The scar always seemed to sting when she had that dream.

Bruce gently caught her wrist and pulled her hand away from her face. He brushed away the hair that hid the scar. "How did this happen?" He asked gently.

Danny looked away as she spoke. "My husband, Ryan…"

"He did that to you?" Bruce asked. He didn't want to believe people could be that cruel, even though he had witnessed that kind of cruelty many times.

Danny nodded. "The night that he died he came home drunk."

"Danny, tell me what happened."

Danny wanted to refuse but something about Bruce Wayne made her feel safe. So she began to tell him. "My brother found him in an alley with a hooker. He knocked Ryan out and brought him home. When Ryan came to, he was livid. He knocked out Jack and then came after me. I stood up for my brother and Ryan backhanded me. His class ring left a gash." She paused.

"What happened after that?"

"Ryan continued beating me until Jack woke up. Jack pulled a gun…"

"He shot your husband in front of you?"

Danny shook her head. "No, he sent me upstairs to check on the kids. He wasn't intending to kill Ryan. But Ryan was drunk, so he grabbed the gun. Jack didn't have time to move his finger from the trigger." She replied quietly.

"How long ago was this?"

"It was six months before the Narrows were gassed."

"Why didn't you leave the Narrows after that?"

"My brother moved in. He wanted to help me take care of the kids. He adored them. I said earlier that Cillian looked like me, well he looked even more like Jack." Danny said. A small smiled played at the corners of her mouth.

"Where was Jack the night the Narrows were gassed?"

"He was out of town on business."

"What kind of business?"

Danny shrugged. "I don't know. He never told me. I asked him once but he told me that it would put me and the kids in danger if I knew."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I'd love to tell you that I own it all; however, that would be a lie. And lying is something that I would never do.

**Author's Note: **I'm apologizing in advance for the shortness of this chapter. The next chapter will be longer, I promise.

* * *

Bruce shook his as he walked out of Danny's room, shutting the door behind him. It was only 5:45am and he had suggested they both try and get more sleep. He walked back to his room. "Something the matter, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked.

Bruce didn't say anything until he was sure they were out of hearing range. "It's Danny, she had a nightmare. It was about the night her husband was killed. I don't know why, but I'd like nothing better than to have pulled the trigger myself." Bruce said as he stalked away.

Alfred smiled and chuckled softly to himself. He knew exactly why Bruce was feeling the way he did. Although, Bruce Wayne would never admit it, the tiny woman who had broken into his house had also broken into his heart. Alfred yawned and went back to bed himself.

For at least half an hour, Danny stared at the ceiling. She didn't want to close her eyes. She dreaded dreaming. But the comfort and warmth of the bed eventually overpowered her.

* * *

_The door bell rang as Danny was taking the lasagna out of the oven. "Why do you always manage to lose your keys, Jackson?" She muttered as she went to open the door. During the months since he had moved in, Jackson had lost his keys more times than Danny could count. However, it wasn't Jackson standing behind the door. "Jonathan?" She gasped. "What the hell are you doing here?"_

"_Hello, sis. Are the kids at home?" Jonathan smirked as he walked, uninvited, through the door._

"_No, they're out with Jackson." Danny replied. It was no secret that Danny didn't like her brother. Even though Jackson and Jonathan were biologically identical twins, when it came to personality, they were complete opposites. Jackson was kind and caring. He was always protecting Danny. Jonathan, on the other hand, was cruel and calloused. Danny was one of his favorite people to torment. "What do you want?"_

"_I want you work at Arkham. I need a new secretary." Jonathan said with a smirk.

* * *

_

Danny woke groggily from her dream. She pulled the down comforter up beneath her chin. She smelled coffee, and at that moment, her stomach growled. She looked at the clock. It was a few minutes after 10:00am. She got up and stretched. She ran her fingers through her hair, and then walked softly out of the room.

She padded softly down the hallway, following the smell of coffee. She didn't notice the presence behind her. "Are you planning on running away? Because you forgot to put your shoes on." Bruce said softly.

Danny turned with a startled grin. "Actually, I was following the smell of the coffee."

Bruce's grin turned into an all-out smile. "In that case, you're going the wrong way." He said, taking Danny's arm gently, and leading her to the kitchen. Within minutes they were enjoying the best coffee Danny had ever tasted.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:**Umm, this is where I take credit for everything, right? (DRAMATIC PAUSE) Oh, its where I take credit for absolutely nothing because I don't own any of it. I don't even get paid.

**Author's Note: **See, I promised a longer chapter and here it is.

* * *

Jackson Rippner paced the floor of his hotel room. He had arrived in Gotham City late the night before. Red eye flights had become his preferred method of travel. He had spent the day looking for his sister. However, much to his dismay, Danny was no where to be found.

He had stood in the rubble of her burned out townhouse for over an hour. He had been completely stunned by the devastation. Danny had taken great pride to make sure that, even though they lived in the Narrows, her children had always had a nice, clean home. Now the quaint brick town home had been destroyed. Jackson assumed that the fire had occurred around the time that the toxin had been released. That event had made national news. He had watched coverage of the event as he recovered from a brutal fight with a feisty young brunette. Lisa Reisert. He was sure that Danny and Lisa would get along wonderfully if they ever met.

After the destruction of Danny's home had settled into Jackson's mind, he had asked her neighbors if they had seen her and the kids. The most information he had gotten was from a little old woman who remembered Danny coming and sweeping the floors of her small grocery store in exchange for groceries. Other than that, no one seemed to know what had happened to Danny and the children.

He had come back to the hotel feeling weary and defeated. "Where are you, Danny?" He asked aloud, as he stared out the window of one of Gotham's finest hotels. He was going to find his sister. And when he did, he was going to take her and the kids as far away from Gotham as possible.

* * *

Danny was having the time of her life exploring the library of Wayne Manor. She had nearly exhausted herself on the shopping trip that Bruce had insisted he pay for. She had been more than grateful to change out of her dirty clothes. She was now wearing floor length, black gauchos and an emerald green, formfitting top. She soon found a book that she absolutely couldn't resist, C.S Lewis' _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_. 

Danny picked up the book and then sank into the enormous leather couch. She instantly became entranced in the book that she had read countless times since her childhood. Thirty minutes later, she glanced up from her book and spotted the baby grand piano nestled in a corner next to a floor-to-ceiling window. Danny set down her book and walked over to the piano. Her pant legs swished softly as she walked. She sat down at the piano and with tender strokes, coaxed out a gentle, soothing melody.

Bruce Wayne was in his gym. It was one of only a few things he had changed when he rebuilt Wayne Manor. It had given him a private place to work out, away from the prying eyes of the public. At the moment, he was attacking a punching bag. He stopped when he heard music coming from the library, which was right above the gym. He quickly wiped the sweat off of his chest, arms, and neck, and then made his way up stairs to the lobby. He knew for a fact that Alfred didn't play the piano.

Danny was oblivious to the presence of a certain shirtless, young billionaire. He was entranced with the passion that poured out from her and into the music. A deep purple bruise peaked over the collar of Danny's shirt. Bruce mentally kicked himself for having caused that bruise when he shoved her into the column the night before.

Danny finished her song and paused. Bruce couldn't help but applaud. Danny turned with a start. She blushed when she saw Bruce standing there. Her blush deepened when she realized that he was shirtless. "How long have you been standing there?" She asked, slightly flustered.

Bruce grinned. "Only for a couple of minutes, I heard you while I was down in the gym."

"You have a gym?" She asked; excitement was evident in her voice.

Bruce nodded. "You want to see it?"

Danny broke into a huge smile. "That would be wonderful, if you don't mind."

Bruce struggled to keep from laughing. She didn't seem old enough to have experienced the horrors that she had. Bruce was now determined to find out her age. "Come on, I'll show you my favorite room in the house."

Danny got up and eagerly followed him. She hadn't been to a gym since high school. Her jaw nearly dropped to the floor when Bruce led her into the spacious workout room. It held the usual weights and body building equipment, but what caught Danny's eye was the half of the room that was completely empty. "What's the empty space for?" She asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

"Martial arts training," Bruce replied. "Interested in learning?" He added with a grin.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. I get paid in happiness

* * *

"What's the empty space for?" She asked, unable to contain her curiosity. 

"Martial arts training," Bruce replied. "Interested in learning?" He added with a grin.

Danny looked up at him with an eager look. "When can we start?"

"Now if you like."

"I'll go get changed." Danny said and rushed out of the gym and up to her bedroom to change.

Bruce smiled as he watched her leave. Alfred walked in. "Did the punching bag say something interesting, Master Bruce?"

Bruce laughed. "No, Danny just left. I'm going to teach her what I know about martial arts."

"Are you sure that's wise?"

"Danny's been through hell. She needs to be able to protect herself. Even Batman can't protect her all the time."

* * *

Jonathan Crane sat in the dark of the apartment he had just rented. He had broken out of Arkham Asylum just hours before. His little sister had a big surprise coming her way. And the Bat Man, well, Jonathan couldn't wait to extract his revenge. But he would wait. He would wait until the very best moment. Then he would bring Gotham's hero to his knees. Once he had Batman, Scarecrow would take great pleasure in killing him slowly and painfully. 

"You failed, Batman." Scarecrow said with a laugh. "But I won't fail. I'll kill, but not before you watch all those you love suffer and die."

* * *

"Careful, stretch your hand more towards the ceiling, and straighten your back." Bruce said. He had decided to start with simple balancing exercises. So far, Danny was doing remarkably well. "Where did you learn how to balance so well?" 

"My mother, she taught ballet classes. She made me practice everyday." Danny replied with a smile.

"So what else did your mom teach you?" Bruce asked.

"She taught me how to make the world's best lasagna, and how to play the piano."

"Sounds like a nice lady." Bruce commented.

"She was, she didn't deserve to die… She and my father were killed in a car accident when I was only eleven. Jack took care of me after that." Danny replied softly.

"Danny, I've been meaning to ask you, how old are you?"

She glanced over her shoulder at him; it wasn't a question she had been expecting. She decided the truth was the best option; besides, Bruce would see right through a lie anyway. "I'll be twenty-three." She said quietly.

Bruce knew she was young, but he hadn't thought she was that young. Frankly, he was stunned. She carried herself with such grace, he would have thought she was at least twenty-six.

* * *

Later that evening, Bruce stood in the living room. The 11:00 news was on. The top story was the escape of Dr. Jonathan Crane, also known as "Scarecrow." Bruce watched as they played a video clip from the police interrogation of Dr. Crane. He seemed completely out of his mind. "He's faking it." Danny said softly. 

Bruce turned. He hadn't noticed her come in. "What do you mean?"

"He's mimicking the effects that he knows the toxin causes, but he's not affected by it at all. He's been immune to the stuff for years."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I know, it's the chapter you've all been waiting for, enter the Scarecrow! Life as Danny and Bruce know it is about to turn upside down! 


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I don't owna thing

* * *

"He's faking it." Danny said softly.

Bruce turned. He hadn't noticed her come in. "What do you mean?"

"He's mimicking the effects that he knows the toxin causes, but he's not affected by it at all. He's been immune to the stuff for years."

Bruce studied Danny for a moment. She blushed under his intense scrutiny. "How do you know all this information about Crane?"

Danny quickly looked at the floor. The moment she had been dreading had arrived. She'd have to tell Bruce the truth of how she knew Dr. Jonathan Crane. "Jonathan… he's my brother." She said softly.

"I thought you said your brother's name is Jack."

Danny sighed and looked up at Bruce. "I have two brothers. Jackson and Jonathan are twins. Jonathan has been developing that toxin for years. He started out using me as a guinea pig in his research." She paused.

Bruce rubbed the back of his neck. She had caught him off-guard with her revelation. However, he had to admit, that it was better coming from her than it would have been from someone else. "What made him stop?"

"Jack threatened to pulverize him, and he realized that I wasn't reacting to the toxin." She said with a half-grin.

Alfred came into the room. "You've got a call, Master Bruce." He said.

Bruce knew by the tone that Alfred was talking about the signal that Gordon had set up. He looked over at Danny apologetically. "I have to go." He said simply.

Danny smiled. "Go save Gotham." She said supportively.

Bruce turned and ran to the cave. When he was gone, Danny headed up stairs to her room. She was tired and it was nice to climb into an actual bed. She yawned as she changed into her new pajamas and snuggled under the covers. Within minutes, she was asleep.

* * *

On the other side of town, Batman swooped down onto the rooftop that he and Gordon met on. "What's the matter?" He growled. 

Gordon sighed. "Crane has escaped, but I expect you already know that."

Batman nodded. "Is that why I'm here? You want me to track down Scarecrow?"

Gordon shook his head. "No, I thought I'd tell you about the note that he left in his cell." He said handing a note to Batman.

_Tell the Bat Man that he'd better find my sister before I do._

_Scarecrow_

Lieutenant Gordon waited for Batman's response. When he said nothing, Gordon broke the silence. "So Crane has a sister?" Batman nodded. "How will you find her?"

"I've already found her."

Gordon wasn't surprised. "What's going to happen to her?"

"She's safe for now. I've got her hidden."

Gordon knew better than to ask where Batman was hiding her. "What are you going to do about Crane?"

"Force him out into the open." Batman replied before he disappeared into the night.

* * *

Jackson flipped to the "R's" in the Gotham City phone directory. There were no Rippners listed. "Maybe she's still goes by Danielle Barlow." Jackson muttered. There was one Danielle Barlow listed. He looked at the address, hoping she had moved. 

He was disappointed. Her address hadn't changed. He had seen the news broadcast reporting on Jonathan's escape. He knew his twin wasn't crazy. He also knew that Jon would out for blood, Danny's blood.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I can only wish that I owned even half of this stuff.

* * *

"_You want me to do what?" Danny asked Jonathan in disbelief._

"_I want you to work for me as my personal secretary." Jonathan replied. "Think about your kids. Working for me at Arkham would be a great opportunity for you, Danny."_

"_I am thinking about my children. And I know for a fact that working for you would be the worst thing I could do for them."_

"_So you're saying no?" _

_Danny nodded. "Actually I'm saying Hell, No. Now get out of my house."_

_Jonathan smirked. "You really might want to reconsider your answer, Danielle."_

"_She gave you her answer, Jon. And I believe she also told you to leave." Jackson said. He and the children had just gotten home._

"_Stay out of this, Jack. This is a discussion between family." Jonathan said without even looking over at Jackson._

"_Cillian, take Maddie upstairs. Your mother and I are going to have a chat with your uncle." Jackson ordered. Cillian nodded and quickly led his sister up to their room. When he heard their door close, Jackson turned his attention back to Jonathan. He turned his twin around and punched him squarely in the jaw. Danny let out a small yelp of surprise. Jonathan simply glared at his brother as he stood up. "Do you feel better now that you've let out that aggression, Jack?"_

_Jackson grabbed Jonathan by his perfectly starched collar. "Danny told you to leave. Now, I know you don't listen to her, but you will listen to me. You haven't done shit to help Danny and her kids. So as far I'm concerned, you have no business being here now. So, get out." He said as he shoved Jonathan out the door. _

"_This isn't over, Danny!" Jonathan called over his shoulder. Danny didn't hear him, because Jackson slammed the door in his face._

The next day

Danny was glancing over Bruce's calendar. He had a party at some hotel that evening. Danny wondered his date would be. Bruce walked in with a slightly troubled expression on his face. Danny looked up at him. "Bruce, what's wrong?"

"I have a small problem?"

"Really? What problem is that?"

"I have a party that I have to attend, and I was wondering if you would consider doing me the honor of being my date?"

Danny was stunned. "Are you sure? I mean, there are plenty of nice looking girls that I'm sure would love to be your date…"

"If I wanted to take another girl I would, but as it stands, I was really hoping that you would agree to go with me. Now, at the risk of being rejected twice, I'm going to ask you again. Will you be my date to the party?"

Danny nodded as she broke into a smile. "Yes, I would be delighted to be your date."

"Good, because there's a dress on your bed that would be very sad if you didn't wear it tonight."

Danny's eyes lit up. "You bought me a dress?"

Bruce grinned. "Alfred picked it out. Go try it on."

Danny couldn't resist hugging him as she left. Bruce's grin grew bigger once she had left. He absolutely loved seeing Danny smile.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **Why do I bother with this? I wish I owned this, but I don't. If I did... I'd be rich.

* * *

Danny twirled in front of the full length mirror in her bedroom. The dress was breath taking. It was a floor-length, black, strapless evening gown. It was covered in sequins. _Alfred has marvelous taste._ She thought. She patiently did her makeup. Alfred had thought of everything. When she was finished, she took another turn in front of the mirror. It had been years since she'd felt this pretty.

She made her way downstairs. Bruce met her at the bottom of the stairway. He was wearing a tux that made him seem even more attractive than usual. His face lit up when he saw her. He held out his hand, and Danny accepted it. He slipped a simple, diamond tennis bracelet onto her slender wrist and held out a black velvet box.

"Bruce, you've done so much already, you don't need to…"

"Nonsense... Diamonds are a girl's best friend, and if you don't accept the gift then I will be offended." Bruce replied playfully.

Danny blushed as she took the box. It had been a while between compliments. She opened the box and found a stunning necklace and matching earrings. Bruce put the necklace on her. And Danny fiddled with the earrings. Alfred appeared in the doorway. "The car is ready, Master Bruce."

"Thank you, Alfred. Are you ready, Danny?"

"I'm game if you are."

Jackson straightened his bowtie. He hated wearing tuxes. _Such a damn nuisance. _He thought to himself. But the hotel was having a party. All of the hotel residents were invited, along with the wealthy of Gotham city. As unlikely as it was, Jackson was hoping to find someone who knew Danny and her children, or at least knew what happened to them.

As far as he knew, Jonathan had no idea that his twin was alive, much less back in Gotham. The party was being broadcast on one of the local stations. Jackson watched as Gotham's rich and famous showed up in all of their so-called splendor. His breath caught in his chest and he turned up the volume to hear the announcer.

"Gotham City's billionaire-playboy, Bruce Wayne has arrived. He is accompanied by a lovely looking, young woman."

Relief washed over Jackson. The woman was Danny. But what was she doing at the hotel? And why the hell was she with someone like Bruce Wayne! Jackson grabbed his jacket and walked out of his room. He was on the elevator before he realized that his room key was lying uselessly on his dresser.

* * *

_Ok, so it wasn't a long chapter, but it was necessary transition._


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:**Do I need to repeat myself?

**Author's note:** I'm sorry this chapter took so long. It is, however, one of the two "family reunion" chapters that I have planned. So here it is. Enjoy

* * *

Bruce slipped his arm around Danny's waist. He wasn't going to let her out of his sight. He knew the types of people in attendance. Many wouldn't think twice about taking advantage of a young, beautiful woman, like Danny. In fact it was almost second nature to them. Bruce's resolve was soon challenged, by none other that Rachel Dawes. "Hello Bruce, mind if I steal your date for a while?" She asked with a smile that Bruce had never been able to refuse.

"Well, Rachel, I guess that's up to Danny." Bruce replied. Thirty seconds later, he was standing alone in a crowded room.

* * *

Jackson slipped past the party and over to the front desk. "May I help you, sir?" The perky, blond receptionist asked.

"Yes, I managed to forget my key in my room."

"And what is your room number, sir?"

"I'm staying in room 4080." Jackson said, flashing her a smile.

"4080... Here you go sir, have a lovely evening." The receptionist replied.

"You too."

* * *

"Danny this is Angie Sutton." Rachel said. "She's the senior editor of…"

"Gotham Fashion News." Danny finished.

"You two have met?"

"Of course, Miss Dawes, Danielle Rippner was one my most promising amateur models."

"What happened?"

"GFN frowns on models who are 17, pregnant, and unmarried." Danny said softly.

"How is the family life suiting you, dear?" The older woman asked, oblivious to Bruce Wayne's arrival.

"Excuse me, ladies, I hope don't mind if I steal my date." He said, as he wrapped his arms around Danny's waist.

* * *

Jackson watched Bruce Wayne escort Danny away from the two women she had been with. They made their way to the dance floor. Jackson grinned. Danny was a killer dancer, and the dance floor would be the perfect place for him to make his presence known. He slipped between groups of partygoers, and made his way over to his sister and the Prince of Gotham.

The couple was dancing a graceful waltz. Bruce was having the time of his life making Danny smile. They stopped when someone tapped Bruce on the shoulder. He turned to see a man nearly identically to Jonathan Crane. "Crane?"

"Jackson Rippner, actually; I believe you're dancing with my sister. Would you mind if I cut in?" Jackson replied with a smile.

Bruce nodded. "By all means." He said stepping out of the way. "I'll be talking business if you need me, Danny."

"I'm her brother; she'll be fine with me." Jackson replied with a challenging look that told Bruce to shut up and go away. When Bruce was gone, Jackson turned his full attention to his sister. "Hi, Danny."

"Hi, Jack. When did you get into town?"

"A few days ago. I've been looking for you."

"Really? I had no idea."

"Would you mind coming up to my suite, so we can talk in private?" Jackson asked, his smile fading slightly.

"Sure, what's wrong?"

"I'll explain when we get upstairs." Jackson said, leading Danny off the dance floor and away from the party. He made sure that Wayne hadn't seen them leave. He wasn't in the mood to squabble with a spoiled billionaire playboy. When they were alone in his room, Jackson shut the door and wrapped his sister in a hug.

She returned the gesture. "I missed you, Jack." She said softly.

"I missed you too. How are the kids?"

_Oh God! He doesn't know._ Danny thought. "Jack… Maddie and Cillian are gone." She said as the tears sprang up in her eyes.

"What? Danny what happened?"

"The night the narrows were gassed…"

"The narrows were gassed? Danny I was in a coma for three months, I had no news from the outside world during that time. Who gassed the narrows?"

"Jonathan did."

"Jonathan! That little… How did he…?"

"He used that stupid toxin of his."

"Danny, what happened to Cillian and Maddie?"

"They died. The babysitter went crazy because of the toxin and shot them. I… I didn't get there in time…" Danny began sobbing, and nearly collapsed.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **In a perfect world, I would own everything and get paid millions of dollars for every chapter. But this isn't a perfect world.

* * *

Jackson scooped Danny up in his arms and carried her to the couch. He grabbed a bottle of water on the way. When his sister was settled on the couch, he handed her the water and pulled up a chair. He took Danny's hand in his. "Danny, I'm sorry. If I had known…"

Danny shook her head. "You couldn't have known."

"I should have been there for you… how long have you been hanging around Bruce Wayne?" There was a dangerously, protective edge to that question.

Danny squeezed Jackson's hand. "He gave me a job, Jack."

"What kind of job?"

"I'm his personal assistant."

"What do you do for him?"

"Answer his phone, write letters, take messages, and make calls, schedule appointments."

"I don't trust him, Danny."

"Jack… he got me out of the narrows."

"For which I am very grateful, but…" Jackson was interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on the door. He got up to answer it. Danny followed him. He opened it to find Bruce Wayne. "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for my date." Bruce said with a smile.

"She's busy."

"Doing what?"

"None of your business." Jackson was feeling childish.

Danny put her hand on Jackson's shoulder. "Jack, let him in."

"Danny, are you sure?" Jackson asked without breaking eye contact with Bruce.

"Yes, Jack, I'm sure."

"Fine." Jack replied as he stepped away from the door. "Mr. Wayne, it would seem you have found yourself in my sister's good graces. I suggest you keep it that way."

"Or you'll do what?" Bruce asked.

"You don't want to know."

Danny was growing tired of their childish bickering. "Honestly, you two, grow up!" She said in her sternest "motherly" voice. The two men turned their attention toward Danny. They looked like two school boys who had been caught fighting. Danny had to struggle to keep from laughing.

Bruce's cell phone rang. "Sorry, I have to take this call." He said as he opened the phone and stepped onto the balcony outside. "Hello?"

"Master Bruce, sorry to disturb you, but you're being signaled."

"Thanks Alfred. I'm on my way. Have everything ready when I get there."

"Of course."

Bruce hung up and went back inside. His expression was grim. "Danny, I have to go. I think something is wrong. Stay here with your brother, and don't leave this suite until I get back."

"She'll be safe with me."

"She'd better be." Bruce said as he ran out the door.

As Jackson shut the door, Danny sat down on the couch. "I hope this doesn't turn out to be something dangerous."

"It'll be fine. I'll go fix us something to drink. What would you like?"

"Apple juice."

Jackson grinned. "I'll see what I can do." He replied and went into the other room. Danny stood up and walked into the bathroom. She found a wash cloth and got it wet. She wrung it out and refolded it. She then pressed the cool cloth against the base of her neck.

A dull thud came from the other room. Danny dropped the wash cloth and went to check on her brother. She spotted him lying in a heap on the floor. He wasn't moving. "Jack…"

"Oh, he won't be getting up for a while." A voice said behind her.

Danny turned with a startled yelp and found herself face to face with her other brother. "Jonathan… what did you do?"

"Oh he's not dead. I wanted him to see what I'm gonna do to you first!" Jonathan hissed. Before Danny had time to react, she felt the sharp stab of a needle. Seconds later, her world went black. Jonathan grinned. He looked at the two men standing over Danny. "Take them back to the compound. We'll see if the Bat Man comes after them." The men left carrying the limp bodies of Jackson and Danny.

* * *

Batman met Gordon next to the bat signal. "What's going on?"

"This note came flying through my window." Gordon said, handing the note to Batman.

_I know where she is, Bat Man._

Batman crumpled the note. "What does that mean?" Gordon asked.

"It's from scarecrow. He knows where his sister is." Batman replied as he disappeared. He had to get back to the hotel. He had to protect Danny.

* * *

Scarecrow smiled as he left the note. He was sure of things. First, the Bat Man would come back to the hotel room. Second, he would find the note. Third, he would come after Danny and Jackson. And finally, Scarecrow would be waiting. He would enjoy torturing Danny in front of the Bat Man. Then he would enjoy torturing the Bat Man.

* * *

Bruce had shed Batman costume and raced up to Jackson's suite. He hadn't bothered to knock when he saw the door was slightly ajar. "Danny!" He called. Where the hell was she? He glanced around the room and noticed the crisp, white, neatly folded, piece of paper. Another note from Scarecrow.

_Batman, I have my sister and my brother. You shouldn't have left them alone. I've enclosed a map to our location. Be there tomorrow evening at midnight. You're not dumb enough to bring the police._

_Scarecrow

* * *

_

What will Bruce do? Will he rescue Danny? Will he be caught in a trap? Would I give anything away? I don't think so!


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: **do I really need to remind you that I don't own a bloody thing?

**Author's note:** 10,000 apologies for the long delay. I hit a bit of writer's block. Also the chapter is short but needed info.

* * *

"…_therefore, X equals 72." Danny muttered. The timer went off. "Shit. Is it really time for the results?" She whispered as she walked over and shut it off. Her stomach lurched as she saw the result of her pregnancy test. Tears came to her eyes as she realized that her life had just gone to shit. Her pregnancy gave Ryan more power over her life than he had had before. She couldn't let him find out._

_The doorbell rang. Danny ran to answer it. Hopefully it would be Michelle. She was giving Danny a ride to a special clinic. She opened the door and found Ryan standing there. "Hey babe, how ya doin'?"_

"_Now really isn't a good time."_

"_It's a good time for me." Ryan replied arrogantly as he pushed his way inside._

"_Ryan listen, there is somewhere I need to be."_

"_Oh yeah…? Well, wherever it is, it will be there tomorrow."_

"_The sooner I take care of my problem the better off we'll both be."_

"_What the hell are you talking about? What problem?"_

"_I can't tell you. But as soon as I can fix it, it will go away."_

"_Danny, what the hell are you talking about?" Ryan demanded. He was getting angry._

_Jackson entered the room. "She said she couldn't tell you. Now get lost."_

_Ryan glared at Jackson. "What are you gonna do if I stay?"_

"_I suggest you not stick around to find out."_

_Ryan turned towards Danny. "I'll go, but I will find out what you're hiding from me, and I'll make you both pay." He said before he stormed off._

_Jackson put his arm around Danny. "You seemed to be headed somewhere before he showed up. You need a ride?"_

_Danny nodded. "That would be nice."_

"_Where are we going?" Jackson asked as they got in the car._

"_The clinic."_

_They drove in silence for a few minutes. "You wanna tell me why I'm driving you to the clinic?"_

_Danny inhaled sharply. "No. I can't tell you. I don't want anyone to know."_

"_Danny, I won't tell Ryan if that is what you are worried about."_

"_Ryan isn't the only person I'm worried about."_

_Jackson pulled over to the side of the road. "Danny, I need you to tell me what is going on. I can help you."_

_Danny blinked back a few tears. "I'm pregnant Jackson." She said softly._

_Jackson didn't even blink as he asked his next question. "Is it Ryan's?"_

_Danny nodded. "Yeah, it's his. Now do you see why I couldn't tell you? That's why I'm going to the clinic. I have to get rid of it."_

"_No Danny, you don't. I told you I would help, and I will. Have I ever lied to you?"_

"_No, but what am I going to do about Ryan?"_

_Jackson sighed. "I can take care of Ryan without even telling him about the baby."_

"_Jack, I can't have a baby. I'm not ready for that. I'm only 17."_

_Jackson put his hand on his sister's shoulder. "Danny, I'll help you raise the baby. Whatever happens, you'll always be my sister. All you need to worry about is getting through you're graduation next month. After that, you were planning on taking a year off anyway." _

_Danny nodded "You're right. Thanks Jackson. What would I do without you?"_

_Jackson laughed. "Just be glad you don't have to worry about that. Now let's go grab some dinner"_

"_Sounds good." _


End file.
